MOM: Total employment in Singapore goes up as foreign workers return after borders reopen

Advanced estimates from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) showed a rise in total employment for the second quarter of the year.

This is primarily because of the return of many foreign workers to Singapore after border restrictions were relaxed in April.

However, employment among residents is also up, MOM said, adding that rates of unemployment are the same as they were before the Covid-19 pandemic.

More Singapore residents have found jobs in information and communications, professional services, and financial services this quarter.

Remaining low, as well as the number of retrenchments, which was at 1,000 for the quarter. The ministry added that business reorganisation or restructuring are still the main reasons for retrenchments.

For Q2, employment rose by 1.9 per cent (64,400), excluding domestic helpers from other countries. This is significantly higher than the first quarter of the year when employment rose by 1.2 per cent (42,000).

The two main industries where foreign workers were hired were construction and manufacturing.

”With the significant relaxation of border controls since April this year, employers in such sectors have been hiring to backfill positions and meet rising demand,” CNA quoted MOM as saying.

As for unemployment, it has been going down since October 2020. Last month, the unemployment rate was 2.1 per cent overall.

At the moment, non-resident employment is below pre-Covid levels by around 10 per cent but is expected to continue to grow.

MOM was also quoted in CNA as saying that “Resident employment, which is expected to be about 4 per cent above 2019 levels, will likely see subdued growth given the low resident unemployment rate.”

The ministry warned however that demand may dampen due to external factors such as the war in Ukraine and ongoing Covid-19 surges in counties such as China.

Many netizens commenting on the post expressed no surprise that foreign workers took many of the jobs in construction and other industries.

/TISG

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